Comparisons

Compare: which route to your Dutch annual accounts suits you?

There are three routes to annual accounts: prepare them yourself, use software or outsource. These pages compare the routes and the software, and also say when another choice fits better.

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✓ First annual accounts free ✓ Micro to large entities ✓ Dutch GAAP: Title 9, Book 2 DCC ✓ Primary database in the EU

The short answer

Which route fits depends on three things: whether your entity is subject to an audit requirement, how complicated the figures are and how much you want to do yourself. Micro and small entities may prepare and file the annual accounts themselves. Medium-sized and large entities always need an accountant for the audit; software then prepares the file.

Updated 30 October 2026

First the route, then the tool

The first question is not which software, but who does the work and who signs for it. The board prepares the annual accounts and remains responsible, even if a bookkeeper or accountant compiles them. An accountant's report is only legally required where there is an audit requirement (art. 2:393 DCC); for micro and small entities it is a choice, for example because the bank asks for it.

Your situation	Read first
You are torn between doing it yourself and outsourcing	Prepare annual accounts yourself or outsource?
You want to know what software does and does not take over from an accountant	Software or accountant
You have a bookkeeper and wonder whether software is needed as well	Bookkeeper or software
You currently prepare the annual accounts in a spreadsheet	Annual accounts in Excel or with software?
Cost is decisive	What do annual accounts cost? and prepare annual accounts for free

Choosing software

Annual accounts software falls into a few types: firm software for accounting and administration firms, the year-end module of a bookkeeping package, the KVK portal for micro and small entities, and standalone programs that work with an export from any package. The buying guide sets these types side by side, with criteria and without a ranking. What software must be able to do and what it costs is worked out on the page about annual accounts software.

If you are comparing with a specific product, below you find per product what the supplier itself says about it, with source and date, and when that product is the better choice.

Caseware alternative: compilation software for firms versus a price per set of annual accounts.
Visionplanner, now Nmbrs Reporting: what changed after the move to Nmbrs.
Nextens Jaarrekening: firm software for micro and small entities.
Exact Online Jaarrekening: the annual accounts module for firms alongside the bookkeeping in Exact.
Speedbooks: reporting software on top of your bookkeeping, as a subscription.

What you look for in every comparison

Who files. Filing can be done via SBR software or via the KVK portal Zelf Deponeren Jaarrekening. Not every program files itself; ask which route it supports and for which size class.
Where the amounts come from. Amounts should come from fixed calculation rules and stay linked to the balance sheet in the notes. A language model that calculates by itself is not reproducible.
What you publish. The publication version is more limited than the annual accounts you prepare; what must be in it follows from your size class.
The pricing model. A monthly subscription, a licence per firm or an amount per set of annual accounts: convert it to the number of annual accounts you prepare per year.
The date of the comparison. Products change name, owner and price. Each product page here states the date on which the sources were consulted.

For accounting and administration firms, the trade-off is worked out separately under year-end software for firms.

Sources

Legal notice: this information is general in nature and does not replace tax or legal advice or an audit by an accountant. The accuracy and completeness of the annual accounts remain the responsibility of the board.

Frequently asked questions

Is software a replacement for an accountant?

Only for the preparation work. Where an audit is required, an accountant remains legally necessary for the auditor's report, and only an accountant can issue a compilation report. For micro and small entities without an audit requirement, the board may prepare and file the annual accounts itself.

Why is there no ranking of the best software?

Because the best choice depends on who you are: a firm with a hundred files looks for something different than a director-major shareholder (DGA) with one BV. The buying guide therefore compares types of software against criteria and says for each type who it suits.

How up to date are the product comparisons?

Each product page states the date on which the sources were consulted and refers to the supplier's own page. Always check prices and functions there before you decide.

Can I also file the annual accounts without software?

Yes, a micro or small entity can prepare and file the annual accounts in the KVK portal Zelf Deponeren Jaarrekening. Medium-sized and large entities submit a file made with other software.

Best annual accounts software: overview by category →Annual accounts software: types, criteria and prices →Preparing your own annual accounts →Step-by-step guides →For accounting firms →Caseware alternative: when does Jaarrekening.io fit, and when not? →Visionplanner alternative? Visionplanner is now Nmbrs Reporting →Nextens Jaarrekening alternative: what are the differences? →Alternative to Exact Online Jaarrekening: differences and choice guide →Speedbooks alternative: subscription or price per set of annual accounts? →

Preparing Dutch annual accounts?

Your first set of annual accounts is free, for every size class. Create an account and prepare the annual accounts of your Dutch company under Title 9 of Book 2 of the Dutch Civil Code.

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